The Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday recorded the statement of Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in the Adarsh Housing Society case.
Sources in the CBI said Mr. Shinde had accepted a proposal during his tenure as Maharashtra Chief Minister, recommending allotment of 40 per cent flats in the Society to civilians in Mumbai that was meant for Kargil victims.
A CBI team from Mumbai quizzed Mr. Shinde at his residence here on the reasons for clearing the file sent by Ashok Chavan, Maharashtra Revenue Minister during 2003-04, as well as grant of certain sanctions to the Society, located in the upscale Colaba area of Mumbai.
Tight-lipped
Though the CBI remained tight-lipped on the questioning, its action came on the eve of the beginning of monsoon session of Parliament.
The multi-crore housing scam had led to the resignation of Mr. Ashok Chavan as Chief Minister. The Congress leadership replaced Mr. Ashok Chavan with Prithiviraj Chavan, who was Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
“It was only recording of statement by the investigating agency,” Mr. Shinde said.
The CBI is likely to record the statement of another Union Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, soon. He too had dealt with Adarsh files when he was Chief Minister.
In January, the CBI registered a case against several persons, including Mr. Ashok Chavan, who succeeded Mr. Deshmukh as Chief Minister, but had to quit when the Adarsh scam broke out.
Some former Army and government officials are also listed as accused in the case registered under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code relating to criminal conspiracy, fraud and misuse of official powers.
Many questioned
The CBI has questioned several persons, including the former Mumbai Corporation Commissioner, Jairaj Phatak; Congress leader K.L. Gidwani; suspended State Information Commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, the former deputy secretary of the State Urban Development department, P.V. Deshmukh; and Adarsh Society secretary R.C. Thakur.
The building was constructed in violation of several rules and regulations on a plot that allegedly belonged to the Defence Ministry. Though initially it was meant to be a six-storey structure, the construction went on till it became 31-storey high-rise, allegedly in violation of building bylaws and environmental regulations.
